Automatic telephone switch



Patented Nov. 18, 19.24.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT B. TAYLOR, 0F TESTFIELD, NEW' JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F NEW' YQBK, N. Y., A CORBO'RTION OF NEVI YORK.

AUTOMATIC TELEFHONE SWITCH.

Application filed November 19, 1921. Serial No. 516,276.

To r/.ZZ whom may concern.'

Be it known that I, Hnnnnn'r B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVcstiield, in the county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Automatic Telephone Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to switching apparatus for use in automatic and semi-automatic telephone systems and is directed more particularly to switches of the cross-bar type whereby incoming lines are automatically connected with idle outgoing lines or trunks.

. The object of the present invention is the provision of a simple and compact cross-bar switch structure which is economical to manufacture.

One feature of the invention resides in the combination with movable coordinate bars of pivoted members which are selectively operable by the conjoint operation of said bars to eeot electrical connections.

Other featuresof the ,invention consist in the novel details of construction as particularly pointed out in the following description and claims.

With reference to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cross-bar switch illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the switch.

Wires 1, 2, 3 and 4 comprise in the present instance one of several similar groups and wires 5, 6, 7 and 8 comprise another such group. As many of these groups as desired may be provided. These wires eX- tend over substantially the entire width of the structure and are suitably secured at their ends on supports which are not shown but which may be of. any desired form. The aforementioned wires are also supported intermediate their ends by the vertical members 9 which are preferably of insulating material. These wires, together with their immediatesupporting struct-ure will be hereinafter referred to as a grid.

The vertical bars of insulating material 10 serve as supports for several sets of wire contact springs, each of which sets comprises in the present instance four springs 11, 12, 13 and 14. These contact springs are preferably embedded in the vert-ical hars 10 and their free ends extend through the grid, as shown in Fig. 1. All the sets of contact springs in each row may be connected in multiple, that is, all the Contact springs 11 in the same vertical row, all the contact springs 12, all the Contact springs 13 and all the contact springs 14 would be connected together.

Such arrangement of contact multiples is not, however', essential, as for instance, the present structure is adapted for use in the automatic telephone system described in the British Patent No. 183,438 issued to the `Western Electric Company, Limited, accepted September 6, 1923, in which the vertical rows of contact springs, which are assigned to incoming lines, are each divided into a number of groups, each of which comprises a` plurality of multiply connected sets of contact springs, each of such groups lloeing associated with a different incoming Associated with leach set of contact springs 11, 12, 13 and 14 is a flat member 15, preferably of insulating material. These members are each pivotally mounted on studs 16 which are embedded in bars 10. Elongated apertures 17 are provided in the members 15 through which the contact springs extend. These apertures are so disposed as to normally hold the contact springs out of engagement with their respectively associated grid wires 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Rotation of members 15 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, permits their associated contact springs to move under their own tension into engagement with the grid wires. The contact springs are preferably tensioned diagonally with respect to the grid wires so that they will engage therewith with a wiping action, thereby keeping the contact surfaces clean. l Resilient wires 28, which are also embedded in the bars 10, are provided for restoring the pivoted members 15, when released to their normal positions, such positions being determined by contact with adjacent insulating strips 9.

Individual to each vertical row of Contact springs is a longitudinally movable bar 18, which is mounted in suitable bearings which have been omitted from the drawing for the sake of simplicity., These bars are each Cil normally held in their upper positions by the flat springs 19, which afigai their lower ends and are movable down wird ly by the arn'iatures 20 in response lo the energization oli electromagnets through the engagement o1l arn'iatures 2U with the pins 21 on the bars 18.

Each bar 18 is provided with a plurality ot laterally extending resilient wires L3, there beingone such wire provided for each set ot contact springs per vertical row. rl`he tree ends olf the wires 28 extend into juxtaposition with their ciated pivoted members 1o and are noiinally disposed in the position shown at the op portion et Fig. Q. llilhen 'i8 are moved don".vfai lly in response to the energization of thaiw spective electroinaegnets 22, the wires 23, mounted thereon, likewise move downwardly into a position where th may be u ized for the rotation or' their respective pivoted members 15.

lith each. group ol grid wires 1, 2, 3, Ll, etc., there is associated a. longitudinally movable horizontal bar 2l, cach oit winch is provided with a plural ty ot diagonally eirtending lugs Q5, one ttor each vertical row 01": contact springs. These lugs are ad ted to any oit the wires assoc ated therewith which may be in the iiloii'iin'ard position when the bar Q-t is moved to the left, as viewed in lling. 2. Such operation of a bar 211, 'following' the operation ot one or more bars 18, results in a movement of the tree ends of the downwardly' positioned wires 28 against the associated pivotel members 15, thereby rotating the latter and permitting,- their respective contact springs 11, 12, 18, and 14 to engage the grid wires 1, 2, 8, 4, etc. Tiler operating each bar 24, an electromagnct Q6 is provided which is operatively associated with the bar 243-. throunjh its armature 27 and a. pin 29 ou the bar. The bars are retained in their normal position by suitable springs such as 30.

As soon is a bar Q4; has operated, the previously operated bar or hars may be restored to the normal upper position by the spring or springs 19, the electromaguets 22 being deenernjized. The free ends oit the engaged wires Q3 are prevented trom moving upwardly with their respective bars 18 by reason o'l the fact that the lugs 25 overlie them, as shown in the lower portion of Fig. 2.

lllhen this structure is used in the system described in the aforementioned British Patent No. 183,438 ot 1923, certain ot the vertical rows ol contact springs are assi gned to incoming); lines, they remainin` vertical rows are assigned to outgoing trunks, and the ejrid wires 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. are utilized as link conductors whereby connections are established between incoming line contacts and outgoing trunk contacts. Each incomiiassa ing line bar .18 being associated with a plu- 'i `e' lii may be operated establish coexistingr connections several associated inf'oming lines conductors through n'hichthc ons are turther extended to idle the simultaneous operation of bars u ociated with the rows ot contact assigned to outgoing` trunks.

' -"an.ce. it he assumed that the vercontac'- springs at the lett oi 1 assigned to incoming' lines`r the two ci' Contact springs shown in the draw .oniiected in multiple to one inand the vertical row at the l ,y 1 assigned to an outgoing` nk (in .if'hich case all the sets oi contact are connected in multiple)a a call .K., natine on the aforementioned inci'nninfi line would result in the operation ot both ha s. 18, shown in 1, (assuming` the atoimentioncd trunk to bc idle, otherwise another trunk and its associated bar would be selecte' l. The operation ot these two hars would draw all the wires 23 thereon into the paths ol' the associated lugs 25 oi all the bars 24A. Following the above operation one ot the horizontal bars 9d: (which may be properly referred to as link bars) associated with the calling line, and which happens to be idle, is operated by its electromae'net Q6 and armature 27. Two ot the pivoted members 15 are thereby rotated and connections simultaneously established between the incoming line contact springs and link conductors and between outgoing trunk Contact springs and link conductors. After the connection is established both of the vertical bars 18 may be released and returned to normal, only the link bar Q4; remaining' in its operated position.

The link conductors 1, 2, 3, 4t, etc. might, itl desired, be utilized as line conductors, in which event each olE the vertical rows oli contact springs would he assigned to an out- ,froingr trunk. The operation in this last mentioned case would consist in operating one vertical bar 18 and one horizontal bar 24; after which the vertical bar could be iinmediately released.

"What is claimed is:

1. In a switch structure, a AQrid comprising; a plurality of substantially parallel wires, said wires beine' arranged in sets of one or more, a plurality of rows of sets ot wire contact springs disposed at rigrht angles to said `first mentioned wires, said contact sprinn's each heiun Afixed at one end and havin their iti-ee ends extending' through said ,qi-id, each set ot contact springs in a row beine' associated with a different set of: said parallel wires and adapted For engagement therewith, a pivoted member for each ol said sets ot' contact springs, said pivoted members each hemp provided with an clonM gated aperture for each contact spring` in its associated set, each oi? said contact springs extending through one of said apertures,-

and means 'for rotating` said pivoted menibers selectively whereby the selected sets oi? contact springs are operated, said means including` two groups ot longitudinally movable bars, the bars ot one group being` individual to said sets oit parallel wires and the bars of the other group being individual to said rows of contact springs, the conjoint operation oit a bar ot cach group being ei'- fective to selectively operate one of said pivoted members.

2. A switch structure comprising a contact set, a ypivoted member for operating said contact set, a longitudinally movable bar, a resilient member carried by said bar, said resilient member extending,` into juxtaposition to said pivoted member, and a second longitudinally movable bar provided with a diagonally extending lug, the operation oil:l said first bar being,` eifective to move said resilient member vinto the path. of said lug,` and the operation of said second bar following` the operation ci? said iii-st bar beingl effective to engage said resilient member with said lug and further effective to move said resilient member to rotate said pivoted member, said lug being effective to prevent the return to normal of said resilient member during the continued operation of said second. bar,

A. switch structure comprising a griff of passive conductors arranged in sets, ed ordinate rows oi' active contacts entering said grid7 arotatable contact n'ioving` element associated with the active contacts at each coordinate point, a longitudinally movable bar individual to each row oi active contacts having a resilient finger individual to each contact moving,` element, a longitudinally movable bar individual to each sot of grid conductors, and means for moving said bars, the conjoint movement of one bar olf each s-t being` effect-ive to bring the resilient linger at the coordinate point of such bars into engagement with its associated Contact moving element to effect engagement between the active contacts and the associated grid conductors.

4. ln a coordinate switch, a grid of passive contacts, a plurality of combs oi? active contacts enteringsaid `grid, rotatable eamming cards at the coordinate points of said switch, and means to selectively rotate said cards to cause the interengagemont of the active contacts and the passive contacts.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of November, A. D.

HERBERT B. TAYLOR. 

